-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Heavy snow in northern and central China has killed 21 people since Monday , the country 's Ministry of Civil Affairs said Friday , according to state-run media .

Xinhua news agency said the ministry did not provide the causes of the deaths , except to note that two school canteens had collapsed in Hebei and Henan provinces since Wednesday , killing four children .

The snow began to fall Monday on northern and central Chinese provinces , including Hebei , Shanxi , Henan , Shandong , Hubei and Shaanxi , and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region , Xinhua reported .

More than 9,000 buildings have collapsed since then , Xinhua said . Citing the ministry , it said the snow has caused an estimated 4.5 billion yuan -LRB- nearly $ 660 million -RRB- in damages .

The ministry said about 159,000 people have been evacuated from their homes or stranded vehicles , Xinhua reported .

Civil Affairs Minister Li Xueju has ordered local authorities to provide food , water and clothing to those who are still stranded , `` and to make proper arrangements for people who lost their homes in the snow to get through the winter , '' Xinhua reported .

It said the Civil Affairs Ministry and the Ministry of Finance have allocated 20 million yuan -LRB- about $ 3 million -RRB- from their central budgets to Shanxi and Hebei provinces to help move those affected by the snow and to help them build houses .

Heavy snow has also fallen on Beijing , but no deaths have been reported there , Xinhua said .

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The snow began to fall Monday on northern and central Chinese provinces

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Xinhua : More than 9,000 buildings have collapsed since Monday

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Xinhua : Civil Affairs ministry says 159,000 people evacuated from homes , vehicles